One Bite With a Stranger by Christine Warren

One Bite With A Stranger

by Christine Warren

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Series: The Others

St Martins Press Oct. '08


**Favorite Quote**

My God. I think I'm dead, she mused, too tired to get worked up about it. He fucked me to death


Not yet, milaya, he chuckled. But there's always next time.


Back of the book:


When Regina's friends insist on setting her up  on a "Fantasy Fix" to help her get over her cheating ex, she dreams up some kinky out-of-this-world encounters that they could never possibly bring to life. But the next thing Regina knows, her friends have got her laced into a shiny black corset, tight leather pants, and a sexy pair of stilettos. It's time for some downtown vampire-fantasy fun...


The Vampire Ball in Manhattan's East Village isn't really Dmitri Vidame's idea of a good time, but as a member of the Council that governs The Others, he has to keep an eye on all the young vamps who prey on the pretenders. After he feasts his dark eyes on the fiery Regina at the bar, he knows that he must have her. But for the first time Dmitri meets a woman who is more than a match for his indomitable will. And he may be the fantasy Regina hoped for...until she-and her feisty friends--discover her sexy new lover's bloodsucking secret...

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Right off, this book reminds me of the good ol' days when I actually had girl friends. Then I remember all the drama of having girl friends and I see once again, why it's best if I don't mingle with other females :P. But I did like the idea of the "fantasy fix" I actually think that would have made for a better series than including or starting off The Others Series.

I couldn't ever get a good read on Regina. She seemed a little like me, but too flimsy. So, she was stubborn and thought her friends were crazy (that'd be the me-relating part) but she just turned to absolute putty around Dmitri (--the not me part). She just seemed to be so conflicting. I think the thing I enjoyed most about her was that she had red hair... i believe. (hahaha... I read it somewhere in the book, but then it never mentioned it again. So... I may have made her a redhead.)

Dmitri was ... well, a vampire. He was the suave and dangerous type as would be expected. He could read minds, some more clearly than others. He can also put his thoughts in yours too... which also means that he can mind rape you. Now, I don't consider pulling psychological bullsh*t on another "mind raping" like most others do. If that were the case, every female would be at fault. With all the games they play with both men and women, if that were turned into a legal offense.. then we'd all be guilty and sent to jail. So, when I speak  of "mind rape" in this instance, I'm talking about him actually putting a thought (literally) into someones mind and coaxing it mentally. Not with words or actions... but he's using his mind connection to do that. That's what I consider "mind rape". At the end of the book of course he claims that he could never do such a thing, but what he can do is take something that's already there and make it stronger or less in that person's mind. So he can't force you to do something you never considered doing. Like trying clams... Or stabbing myself in the stomach. etc. 

But where Dmitri screws himself with the mind reading, he makes up for a very tiny bit in his nick name. I LOVE nicknames, especially the ones of a different language. "Misha" is his nickname.. and as you saw above, he calls Regina: Milaya. Nothing particularly pretty about either name, but it just makes me happy. It did make me a little uncomfortable when other people outside of their lovers embrace called him Misha. It kind of dulled it down a little bit, thus, bringing him back to square one with the mind reading.

The only way to sort of redeem himself is through the sex though. Holy cow was the first "sex scene" hot! In fact, on my cheat note card, I wrote: "1st sex scene-Holy Moly!" They're hot, and of course, as present in this book as they are in the others of the Other series.

My FAVORITE scene of the whole book, has to go to one of the almost very last ones. When I read through it, all I could think of were her friends looking disheveled and crazy-eyed holding pitchforks and fire-lit torches.... :D

Ratings:

1. Cover +1

2. Hooked: +1

3. Finished the book: +1

4. Overall Feeling: meh +1

5. Re-readability: +0

6. Suggest to others: +1

7. Lost time: +.5

8. Readability: +1

So, I give this a 6.5 out of 10. I would only suggest this to those that have already started or would like to read all of the Others' series. Or if you just love series. It's not a bad read, but it's not amazing. And besides trying to figure out the actual order this series goes in, I don't think I would read it again. This book does feel like it's first (as says Barnes and Noble)

More by Sloan Parker

More by Sloan Parker

PDF file (details below)

series: Gay/Lesbian Erotica

Loose ID Pub

March 2010

**I won this book in a contest put on by Janna at E-Romance Reader. Book was provided by Sloan :D AAND it was the first contest I've ever won :D**

Blurb from Sloan Parker's Website:

For fifteen years Luke Moore has lived by three rules: stay off his father's radar, never spend more than a single night with any man, and never fall in love again. But one night of explosive sex and two men whom he can’t get out of his head have Luke breaking them all. Richard and Matthew push him past all his boundaries—both sexually and personally—and now he’s no longer hiding from his senator father; he’s taking him on. And he isn’t just falling for one man; he’s falling for two. If you're going to break the rules, might as well break them big.

But Luke’s father has his reasons for hating how his son lives, and he’ll do whatever he can and use all his power to keep Luke away from Richard and Matthew.

Can this threesome find a way to make their unconventional relationship last with the world around them trying to pull them apart? And will Luke be able to keep breaking his rules for Richard and Matthew, or will he head back to his familiar way of life just when his new lovers want to bind him tighter?

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So.. I don't know about everyone else who reads the gay/lesbian romances.... but I LOVE the warnings they put at the beginning of the books. They all sort of differ a bit but on my "cheat sheet" note-card I use for all my books, I wrote that this one made me smile :D (oh.. and something about making me want to call my practitioner... though I'm not a dude, and all these things would probably be moot anyway).

Alright, the first sentence caught my attention fast. What a way to start too. I immediately thought "why?" "who?" and got scared for and protective of the main character, Luke. He's troubled in only the way that a bad past and hard living could create, and you realize that it's so much worse than you thought as the story progresses.

*sidenote* Sloan's female. Which already predisposes her for harsher judgment (from me... sorry) on her interpretation of the male mind. It's just as complicated as a female, but in a simpler way (exactly what I meant by complicated). But she TOTALLY pulled it off. She built Luke up so well that I really thought he was writing the story, not Sloan. Which seems harder and harder to find the more books I read.**okay, end sidenote**

This book really helped me see into that other world. Being a straight female with the same boyfriend (sorry.. fiance) from high school, I have NO idea what happens in the dating world, let alone in that one. For example.. are there really clubs where you can go and have anonymous sex at?! How ingenious if it's true! Especially for men. (Read the book before you say "Umm. that's every bar Amber", then you'll know what I mean ;)-). 

ANYWAY! It's explosive from the start (the sort-of-pun was intended :P). Luke can be very vocal about his specific sexual wants and needs, but closes down when it gets to be more than that. When he meets Matthew and Richard and they give him what he wants and more until you are speaking aloud to the book and an empty room for him to just let go and enjoy, everything! 

Matthew's such a sweetheart and only from reading about him I really wish I could pinch his cheeks (upstairs cheeks for you dirty minds) because he was so freaking cute. Or shrink him and put him in my pocket so I can keep him close to me at all times. Matthew's fear he had to overcome was minor compared to Luke's. I was so happy with how he came about that fear (ummm... not in the "yay, I'm glad you suffered kind of way". But the "I'm so glad it wasn't because of the typical 'drunken parent'" way...)

Richard is more of the protector, but sort of the gentle giant too. He loves emotionally and physically but he'll use both to pound you to a pulp if you look at him or the other two funny. He had a hard time not being in control (outside of the bedroom of course) and though he seemed like the strongest of them all, he was vulnerable to certain things you wouldn't expect from a big guy.

I don't want to give away too much about the book since I want you to read it! Like now... Okay.. wait until the end of this post before you go just yet! So what I will give away about it is that it is fantastic. I tried reading it on my break at work until I realized an hour went by (45 minutes longer than I should have taken). Woops! So that put an end to that. 

Like with all great books... I had a hard time finishing it. What happens is that I want to know sooo badly how it ends... except for the part when it actually ends. So, while I won this in a contest back in April... I didn't finish it until mid-May. Part of it was because I was afraid of how Sloan would end it. Endings, for me, tend to make or break the entire book. Where every experience so far, no matter how great, has the chance to fail miserably. And the other part was because I didn't want to stop reading about these characters. But, just like the way Luke thought/felt/acted, she pulled it off beautifully.

One thing I noticed with her writing that I usually only see with "seasoned" authors is that she wrote with that cocky arrogance. But she also maintained the vulnerability of a new author. So she told you all you really needed to know and actually spent time to make it flow. Most of the time, even with my favorite authors of both "seasoned" and new, they go too far on either side of the spectrum. For example.. Nora Roberts... she's an arrogant writer. She focuses on the fluff and spares the details (IMO). On the other side is an author like Rachel Vincent. Her first book (Stray) contained sooo much detail that it ended up (though I enjoyed it immensely) breaking that flow a bit... does that make sense? Probably not since my flow and detail suck ;). All you need to know is that it was written really well, and she's been added to my favorite authors!!

Rating:

1. Cover +1

2. Hooked: +1

3. Finished the book: +1

4. Overall Feeling: :D +2

5. Re-readability: +1

6. Suggest to others: +2

7. Lost time: nope! +1

8. Readability: +1

10 out of 10!!! :D. One person on the cover looks like someone I used to know, so of course I have to love it... Oh, and the fact that there's two other hunks on there too :P. Annnd I know I don't usually suggest or recommends gay/lesbian or even erotica books to those that don't read them, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest you read this one (with the disclaimer that you are fully aware that this is a m/m/m erotica... okay?!)

So thanks again Janna and Sloan Parker for doing this contest and letting me read/review MORE!! :D

Here's Janna's review

Sloan Parker's Website

Sloan Parker's Blog

**pst... After you read this!! *cough*hopefullysoon*cough* you can read another book in this series about Walter Simon :D (It's "in progress".. which means that you need to buy her book so if she has one, she can quite her day job to finish it quicker ;p)**

Three Days to Dead by Kelly Meding

Three Days to Dead by Kelly Meding.

Series: Dreg City Series (#1)

Dell 2009

$7.99

Some favorite quotes:

"...it's not every day a person becomes a reanimated corpse. My day was decidedly much worse, so I did the most sensible thing that came to mind. I stole her tennis shoes." pg. 6

"I can do a better job of ripping him a new asshole when I don't feel so much like death on cracker" pg. 106. (pst.. not sure what death on cracker means... but I heart the blunt badass-ness :D)

"I could have stayed like that for the rest of my afterlife... only I had to pee." pg 296 (hehehehe)

Barnes and Noble Synopsis:

They’ll never see her coming. . . .


When Evangeline Stone wakes up naked and bruised on a cold slab at the morgue—in a stranger’s body, with no memory of who she is and how she got there—her troubles are only just beginning. Before that night she and the two other members of her Triad were the city’s star bounty hunters, mercilessly cleansing the city of the murderous creatures living in the shadows, from vampires to shape-shifters to trolls. Then something terrible happened that not only cost all three of them their lives but also convinced the city’s other Hunters that Evy was a traitor—and she can’t even remember what it was.


Now she’s a fugitive, piecing together her memory, trying to deal some serious justice—and discovering that she has only three days to solve her own murder before the reincarnation spell wears off. Because in three days Evy will die again—but this time there’s no second chance. . . .

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Wow... this was a fantastic read. Especially for a debut book! Well, maybe especially is the wrong word. I know that most authors spend up to years on one single book with edits and what not before it's picked up by agents.... but you know what I mean.. I hope?!

So it starts out with one of my favorite quotes from the book: "I don't recall the first time I died, but I do remember the second time I was born" I hope it hit you the same way it did me... which was "whoa! what?! second birth? first death? who gets that!? what's going on?" Or something like that.

So already, it starts out with a catch. The way things happened and fell into place were things that I wouldn't think of, but they held merit and I couldn't deny it (about 98% of the time). Besides the "who" behind all the bad stuff happening.. I guessed that one pretty quickly. The "dregs" were interesting creatures.. some of them. Some were like the ones you have no idea what they look like, you just know they're scary and you would not want to cross paths with one any day of the week.

I'd put this more in the Urban Fantasy section, if they had it at major book stores (get with the times already! Not every Sci-Fi/Fantasy/or Romance belongs there!!) since there's some sexual tension, but it's not this passionate love affair or anything. It's more along the lines of fighting bad guys and solving mystery, and then there's the sexual tension. But as a lover of sex (*cough* i mean romance novels) I was left wanting more. I mean, sure there was one incident that was so sweet i almost cried (j/k, I don't cry) but I never got that ease of the tension. Which, even though I'd consider it Urban Fantasy, I think it'd be okay to add one extra awesome part for readers like me. Maybe Kelly Meding just didn't think it was appropriate to include, which is her prerogative, but I definitely don't think it would have taken away from her awesome book.

So, as much as I L-O-V-E this book, there were some parts that didn't quite make sense. Like... and without giving it away... the decisions made on page 138... I think that the thought might have crossed their mind as being...... un.. safe? okay, that's good, didn't give away ANYTHING!

Back to the love stuff. There was one character who had the power to make or break Kelly. And I'm so glad she got it right. I believe in coincidence, but I don't believe in easy persuasion and altering a person's choice. Especially if you want that person to be strong, caring and loyal. So out of it all, this character became a favorite because of how Kelly allowed them to speak rather than making it easier on her writing. So what happens to this character is so devastating I think I actually did start to tear up for a little bit. I wish it could have been different, but I'm sure it was just as hard for Kelly to do as it is for me to even think about doing it to my non-important characters.

I know, I know... this pretty much tells you nothing. That's the point. Sort of. I want you to know how I felt while reading this book so you can choose for yourself if you want to go on the ride. (Which I REALLY recommend for this one!).

Ratings:

1. Cover +1

2. Hooked: +1

3. Finished the book: +1

4. Overall Feeling: :D +2

5. Re-readability: +1

6. Suggest to others: +9 [obsessive series readers only]

7. Lost time: nope! +1

8. Readability: +1

9 out of 10!!! :D Here's why:

If you're looking for an action packed, mind game, sort of Memento feel, and an Urban Fantasy book all wrapped up in one neat package... READ THIS!!!

Not for the ones who like sex... I mean romance... though you get a brief tumble with our favorite thing ;). Definitely worth the read anyway :D... but I can't suggest it to that type of reader with absolute conviction that they'll enjoy it (we all wish) as much as I have.

2nd book in the Dreg City Series: As Lie the Dead

Author Website

Author Blog

Other Reviews:

Paranormal Fantasies (Thanks for showing me the second book! I was hoping for it!)

My Reading Addiction

**Please let me know if you've reviewed this and would like me to add your link :D**

Somebody Killed His Editor by Josh Lanyon

Somebody Killed His Editor

by Josh Lanyon

Samhain Publishing [e-book]

Why I read: I've been getting into the M/M books and was looking for another one to abate my desire for it :D

Barnes and Noble synopsis:

Christopher Holmes has enjoyed a celebrated career as a bestselling mystery writer. Until now. He heads for a Northern California writers conference to try and resurrect his career. A career nearly as dead as the body he stumbles over in the woods. Christopher finds himself stranded in an isolated lodge full of frightened women-and not a lawman in sight. Except for J.X. Moriarity, former cop and bestselling novelist. The man with whom he shared a one-night stand-okay, maybe three-long ago. A ruthless, stalking killer, or a hot, handsome ex-lover. Which poses the greater danger?

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My Review: 

It wasn't what I was expecting. But with the synopsis that tells me there's a murder/mystery investigation going on, I don't know what I was expecting instead. So, I don't think it's okay for me to review it intelligently since this isn't my type of book to begin with. So anything said is from an outside-the-norm-of-mystery-reading thoughts. If you like murder-mystery [which I used to, just not anymore] and you enjoy M/M books, I recommend you read this one! In other words!!!: Forgive me if I sound like an idiot.

Alright! Now that we have that squared away, I do think that Josh Lanyon writes very well. He's easy to follow, I don't remember getting lost in any of his sentences or paragraphs. Very smooth. I was kept guessing the entire time of "who done it". I really felt bad for the main character. He was being forced to go out of his comfort zone with his writing to please his editor. I did have to hold back and bite my tongue so I didn't yell, "At least you have an editor [and agent]! arrrgh!" [hehehe] but if you're not comfortable with what you're writing, it's going to suffer and show through. Then you're pretty much toast!

Josh Lanyon did a fabulous job of feeding the seed of doubt about just about everyone. There's the fidgety agent, the bitch of a resort manager, the ex-con, silent cop, old lady with the young hunk... And it didn't seem forced. It just felt like they all had their past.

Christopher [main character] was such a comical character to read through. He had no sense of self-preservation until it came to the brink of death. He got stuck in weird situations, and somehow, escaped unscathed.

Though I love M/M romances because the love scenes are, knee shaking, I had a hard time seeing it in my mind from this book. I think it's because I kept imagining a scrawny dude with another guy that had a mustache and looked suspiciously like my ex-neighbor while I was growing up. Though I don't believe he's gay, it was just hard for me to "see" him and another man together. BUT! I did believe in it. There was a connection, a past, a passion, a yearning.

Luckily for Mr. Lanyon [and my review purposes], his ending was more of what I like [I wonder if it's because the two main characters were both male and didn't have the female craziness that is hormones], but he didn't make it too cheesy. In fact, I thought the last 3-4 sentences were *perfect* :D

Ratings:

1. Cover +1

2. Hooked: +1

3. Finished the book: +1

4. Overall Feeling: meh: +1

5. Re-readability: +.5 - skim through the mmhhhm parts :D

6. Suggest to others: +1 [m/m-mystery lovers]

7. Lost time: +1

8. Readability: +1

Though this isn't my type of book I usually like to enjoy, I'm happy that I can give it a 7.5 out of 10 :D


Author Website
Author Blog 

Moon Craving by Lucy Monroe

Moon Craving by Lucy Monroe

Series: Children of the Moon

Urban Fantasy/Romance/Highlander

February 2010

Dell

$7.99

Why I read: I saw a comment by Lucy [author] on Babbling About Books and More blog saying that people believed her Alpha wolves were too Alpha. As if there were such a thing!!! So, I said I was going to have to put that statement to the test.

Barnes and Noble Synopsis:

When Talorc-laird of the Sinclair clan and leader of his werewolf pack- must wed an Englishwoman, he's shocked to find that she is his mate. Deaf since childhood, Abigail hopes to keep her affliction from Talorc as long as possible, just as he has no intention of telling her that he's a werewolf. But when Abigail learns that the husband she's begun to love has deceived her, it will take all his warrior's strength-and his wolf's cunning-to win his wife back.  

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My Review: **some minor spoilers**

Like always, I'll start with the bad. I like getting that out of the way so I can tackle all the good!!! Because there is a lot of that :D. FYI... I couldn't find the first in the series, Moon Awakening, at the bookstore so I had to skip it until I order it online =).

First [in order of book]... I got all the way to page 106-ish before I found something I wasn't too sure I liked. Awesome right?! I thought so. The "Chrechte mating" ritual threw me for a loop. All the sudden there's these random nakie people, in a random place, with an Englishwoman... who's also nakie. It just didn't seem to fit. Especially with the response that Abigail [main character] had. As an Englishwoman, she's predetermined to be more modest... but in this instance... she doesn't care. Now, I'm a young, I-don't-give-a-damn kind of girl, and even I would have freaked out and covered my awesome parts if that were to happen to me. The only thing I can assume [and it's what got me through that part] is that she was just completely caught in the moment and everything just seemed right. Which could happen... but with me, it'd only be after I downed more alcohol than usual... and normal is about 1-1/2 bitch-beers [I know.. I'm a light-weight].

Also, there were a lot of random things that happened. The wedding baggage, the fight scene about 30 pages after the "Chrechte mating", a couple attacks towards Abigail and the way she finds "stuff" out about her husband. I was thinking it'd be something more... dramatic, or the how she found out would make a big scene about her not knowing. That's as covert I can be about it without ruining it for everyone :D

Then, there's the ending... If you didn't know before, you know now... I don't like it when things just "work out". I like a little conflict and insecurity, then reassurance or compromise. And Lucy Monroe was so much closer to that than I've seen in a while. It was still a tad too fluffy for my 100% approval. But that's my problem and I wouldn't hold anyone back from reading it just because of that.

NOW THE GOOD!!!! I love the good part :D The hook was AMAZING! I felt drawn in to the story in the very first sentence. The rest of the first paragraph in the prologue told me I was in for a delicious treat.

Lucy Monroe is a fantastic writer. If we were in Harry Potter world, I'd say her writing put me under the Imperius Curse since I couldn't put the book down. I read it in less than a day, which has been difficult to do lately with such a "GO!-GO!-GO!" schedule. If I had to describe her writing in 1 word, it would be enthralling. Or maybe enchanting.

I absolutely loved Talorc and Abigail's first meeting. It was so sweet the way he took care of her, though the marriage was last on his to do list. And how lucky are they both that an arranged marriage actually brings you a decent person?! Talorc's protective nature pops in constantly, and I love, love, love it. Then, when her secret is out in the open, he has such an affectionate way of getting her attention. 

I do wish I could have read more about Niall and... his mate [I don't want to ruin everything!]. But it made me happy to know that... "stuff" happened [hehehe].

So, to answer the reason for why I read the book... No, Lucy's Alpha's are not too Alpha. That's just ridiculous. They definitely are in their own league, but if you love Alpha's like I do [they're always at the top of my list of fictional hunky men] then you'll love her Alpha. At least Talorc, Niall, and Barr since I have yet to read Moon Awakening [sadface].

Ratings:

1. Cover +1

2. Hooked: +1

3. Finished the book: +1

4. Overall Feeling: mmmm: +2

5. Re-readability: +1

6. Suggest to others: +2

7. Lost time: +1

8. Readability: +1

yay! Another 10 out of 10!! Despite the random weird parts, I loved this book. I noticed that on the front of the cover Susan Wiggs is quoted: "Lucy Monroe will capture your heart." and she's not joking. I've added her to my favorite authors =) I was so happy to find that she was writing another in the series :D


Author Website
Author Blog


Other Review:
Babbling About Books and More
Demon Lovers Book Reviews and More


I would recommend this to anyone who can read. That's all the criteria you need :D

Wolf at the Door by Christine Warren

Wolf at the Door by Christine Warren

Series: The Others

Paranormal/Romance

March 2006

St Martin's

$6.99

Why I read: I was looking for a new series to start and enjoy, and this one had several done already.


One Favorite Quote: "Did you just call me Benji?"


[update: I realized recently *cough*today*cough* that I read the series out of order... I thought this was the first in the series. But no, it's the 4th. I'm going back to read the 1st! Of course, I also read the 6th before realizing this, so I'm all mixed up. Please note that if there were any inconsistencies that I noticed, it's probably due to coming in to the stories in the middle of the series. I can't change what I said because it was how I felt. It also proves that you should start at the beginning of every series! Bummer, I know. I can't believe I messed up! Ugh]

Barnes and Noble Synopsis:

Christine Warren’s spellbinding new series takes you into the enthralling world of The Others—mystical creatures who have long kept their true natures hidden from human eyes. Now, these werekin, shapeshifters, vampires, and witches must choose between revealing their powers or fighting a sinister sect hell-bent on their destruction…

WHEN DANGER MEETS DESIRE…
Sullivan Quinn didn’t travel 3,000 miles from his native Ireland and his wolf pack just to chase rabidly after the most delectable quarry he’s ever seen. Quinn is in America on a mission—to warn his Other brethren of a shadowy group willing to use murder and mayhem to bring them down. But one whiff of this Foxwoman’s delicious honeysuckle fragrance and he knows that she is more than a colleague or a conquest…she is his mate.

THEY’LL DISCOVER…
Anthropologist Cassidy Poe is a world-renowned authority on social interaction, but the overpowering desire she feels around Quinn defies every ounce of her expertise. Working by his side to uncover The Others’ enemies poses risks she never expected—to her own safety, to those she loves, and to her heart, as every encounter with Quinn proves more blissfully erotic than the last…

THE ANIMAL WITHIN…
Now, with no one to trust but each other, Quinn and Cassidy face a foe that’s edging closer every day, threatening to destroy the life they’ve always known, and the passion they’ve just discovered…

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My review:

It took a while for me to get in to the book. Even the initial contact between the two main characters kind of bothered me. Quinn seemed really stalker-ish. Given enough time, I found that not to be the case, but that initial feeling was uncomfortable.

I felt that plot took a distant second place after a while. Or maybe I misunderstood the plot. Which is very possible! They have to find who is trying to "out" the Others before they do, and it felt slow getting to the finding part. In fact, I don't even know if they did find the who/what. They found the root cause, just not the who/what [does that make sense? you're probably staring at this thinking "what the hell are you talking about crazy]. wAt this point, I keep telling myself.. who cares? They got to the root of it, what more do you need? But I felt like this whole time I wanted to know who the puppet was and I all I got was a sort of puppeteer. Maybe I need to re-read the last few pages to make sure I'm not being an idiot.

I did something really weird with this book though. I stopped reading it for about a month at the very end... What?! Who does that? I think I was in a reading slump and I just was hung up on the root cause and who the Light of Truth that's trying to expose them is, and the fact that I didn't understand what was going on. Once again, my problem. I'm sure Christine Warren explained it perfectly for the non-challenged people.

The only honest and true complaint I have is that the resolution to the conflict of exposure ended too suddenly for it to be normal. But the ending for me is huge. I understand the need for the fluff at the end, but nothing is wrapped up in neat little packages in real life, and I just feel that books should portray that sometimes [yes... i know it's not real, but for it to be relatively believable even in a fictional world, I don't like neat endings--that's one reason I hate chick flicks]. 

OKAY! That was the bad.. Here's the good:

Christine Warren's writing was great! Most of it flowed together flawlessly [I say mostly, because as with all books, some sentences had to be re-read several times to understand what she was saying].  Their romance, though it had a rough start... a really awkward rough start, it was believable. Some parts were fluffed, but whatever. I could believe that they actually had a connection to each other. Their foreplay and/or sexual encounters were.... awesome! :D Very blush worthy if someone catches you reading those pages. ;)-

Another really neat thing she did was that she didn't make Quinn an Alpha. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Alphas [mmmmmmm]. But he didn't need to be an Alpha to be dominant. He also had a great and unique role in his pack that I haven't heard of before. I think it might have been too much, so that was a perfect decision made by Christine Warren.

Ratings:

1. Cover +1

2. Hooked: +.5

3. Finished the book: +1

4. Overall Feeling: meh: +1

5. Re-readability: +.5--might skim through

6. Suggest to others: +1

7. Lost time: ... not really +1

8. Readability: +1

Looks like it's a 7 out of 10. Which makes me happy that I have my rating system. I would have felt that after the month of a break [from all books really] that I should rate it lower.

Website

Str8te Boys by Evangeline Anderson

Str8te Boys by Evangeline Anderson

June 2009

Gay, Romance, Erotica

Samhain Publishing

Why I read it: Loved the first book I read of hers, and I wanted to taste another. [go here for the review I did on The Assignment]

Synopsis from Barnesandnoble[dot]com.

How far would you dare to go…to win it all?

Maverick Holms and Duke Warren share almost everything—a college soccer team, an apartment and the same extremely competitive nature. Thanks to that never-back-down spirit, they’re about to share more than they bargained for.

The game is “gay chicken”. The rule: get as close as possible without kissing, and the one that pulls away first is the loser. The problem: neither of them likes to lose. It isn’t long before the game becomes an excuse to touch and kiss in every possible forbidden way. And after they pose for a gay website to earn extra money, things really heat up.

Suddenly Duke is talking lifetime commitment, and Mav is backpedaling as hard as he can, not sure if he’s ready to accept all his best friend is offering him. Or the truth about what he is.

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Str8te boys followed the same format as her other I read, The Assignment. So I already liked the way things happened, but it did leave me a bit disappointed that she couldn't have changed it just a bit more. There were obvious differences that are revealed in the end, so I won't spoil those, but it followed too closely to the other for me to get the full benefit I could have.

I did love how it was fast paced, and exciting. Daring even. The way it developed was a bit differently because of certain aspects, but there's still that uncomfortable feeling. I mean, not all scary relationships start out the same way right? 

I say scary because it's going outside of your comfort zone. It's not like they go out there knowing without a doubt that they like one way or another. They develop it and find out that it's true with each other. I still recommend The Assignment first, but I will add a "but" clause in there. If you're not ready for overly flamboyant-ness, then you should read Str8te Boys first. Because it does explore it from a different, less showy way than The Assignment.

1.Cover: +1

2. Hooked: +1

3. Finished the book: +1

4. Overall Feeling: Pos +2

5. Re-Readability: +1

6. Suggest to others: +2

7. Lost time: Nope +1

8. Grammar: .5

Same 9.5 out of 10 as her The Assignment.  Well deserved.

This is book 3 out of my 30 book challenge! check!! :D

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Silver Borneby Patricia Briggs

March 30, 2010

Fantasy/Paranormal/Romance

Penguin

Why I read it: I've read all the others in the series, and I love Mercy, Adam, Samuel, Jesse, Warren, Kyle, Darryl, Aurielle, Honey, Bran, Charles, etc.

Synopsis from Barnesandnoble[dot]com.

When mechanic and shapeshifter Mercy Thompson attempts to return a powerful Fae book she'd previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down.

It seems the book contains secret knowledge-and the Fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. And if that doesn't take enough of Mercy's attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side-leaving Mercy to cover for him, lest his own father declare Sam's life forfeit.

All in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn't careful, she might not have many more to live...

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Despite already knowing about the series and wanting to read it so desperately, the cover looks amazing. As always. One thing that someone told me they noticed is that her tattoo's don't match on ever cover. Which, I've never put to the test, but I can see that there's a lot more. And I can't remember her ever talking about tattoos in the book [besides the wolf paw--erm, coyote paw], but that's probably my early Alzheimer working its magic. Even if her tattoos change, I still love the girl on the cover.

I can't remember how the hook was, but I didn't really need one. The hook was already in place when I finished the last book. I always want to know the deep secrets of Mercy and Adam's relationship. But I don't know why I expect it when every time, Patricia Briggs lets me know that Mercy doesn't want to show that part. Or maybe it's Adam. He is the chauvinistic quiet guy that doesn't like "claiming" his woman with the other ultra-sensitive-eared werewolves in the house. *giggle*

I really really really didn't want to finish this book. Which is a sign of an awesome read. Because if I did, then I would either find the last of their story. OR [and hopefully it's this rather than the other], I'll have to wait way too long for the next one. And really, 1 day is too long.

After I finished, I felt angry, sad, happy, excited, eager, sweet, and all the above. It left off one way, but I couldn't help but feel everything that happened in the book and everything that would happen in the [hopefully soon] next book

I will probably re-read this book several times. Just like I have every other Mercy Thompson book. I will however, skip over the fae parts. I read on someone's blog (can't remember where, sorry) that the fae parts could have been left out and it would still have been a great story. And to be honest, I would probably skip over those parts when I re-read this book. MOstly because I love Adam and Mercy and they're every thought/desire should be out there for me to read consecutively.

This book is great for EVERYONE. It doesn't have any feel like Twilight werewolves. There is romance there, but it's minimal, the development of the characters is fantastic. Male, female, 16-73. All can read the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs.

Ratings:

1.Cover: +1

2. Hooked: +1

3. Finished the book: +1

4. Overall Feeling: Pos +2

5. Re-Readability: +1

6. Suggest to others: +2

7. Lost time: Nope +1

8. Grammar:+1

so it looks like I have my first 10 out of 10. My 2nd book in my 30 books this year, and I get a 10! I'm so excited :D. I know I won't be able to get this lucky for long, so I won't expect it, but doesn't it feel nice to have awesome books to read? YESS!!!

Others in series:

Moon Called

Blood Bound

Iron Kissed

Bone Crossed

Silver Borne

Homecoming (Graphic Novel Series #1)